Polio’s Last Stand By
Saleh
Yamusa Kano No
sooner had I finished reading a special report on polio vaccine in
Weekly Trust, August 9 – 15, 2003 than I recalled a document carrying
the above headline, which I got from an international journal, Nature,
January 18, 2001. I had no ado finding the document from where I kept
it; likewise dusting it and reading it. The
science journal published an article, which elucidated the potential
dangers of oral polio vaccine (OPV). The article came up as a result of
an investigation conducted by researchers, from the Pan American Health
Organisation (PAHO) vis-à-vis the discovery of signs of polio in
children from the Dominican Republic, a region certified polio-free by
the PAHO in 1994. Further investigation confirmed OPV as the prime
culprit, “…laboratory analysis confirmed that the virus infecting
the Dominican children was polio, but it was not a wild strain. Instead,
it was a mutant form of a live virus from the OPV, used to stamp out the
wild strains in the first place.” It
is clear that the virus, deliberately weakened for use in the vaccine,
had regained the ability to cause an outbreak of polio disease. A reason
the World Health Organization (WHO) gave to revisit its polio
eradication plan using OPV. Among
the solutions to this problem under observation as provided by WHO is,
“…a relatively simple – albeit difficult to organize – coup de
grâce: a coordinated withdrawal of OPV on the same day worldwide.”
Another solution is provision of another vaccine, “needed to maintain
people’s immunity to polio while the OPV strains die out. Right now,
the only available candidate is the Salk inactivated polio vaccine (IPV).
This requires only one dose, confers immunity to all types of polio,
and, because it is made from dead virus, cannot cause disease.” Nature
pointed out some serious drawbacks of IPV for use in developing
countries. “First, it does not trigger mucosal immunity in the gut….
Second, it must be injected, meaning that it must be administered by
trained health workers, rather than unqualified volunteers. And there is
currently no industrial capacity to produce the vaccine on the scale
required.” But, I believe with the level of unlimited resources, both
human and material, we have in Nigeria, reverting to the use of IPV in
the effort to immunize our children against polio will not be a big
task. The
clarion call made by the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria (SCSN) on
government to investigate the safety of the OPV, as regards to the
speculations that the vaccine contains AIDS virus and
infertility-causing substances. I know it is possible to inoculate HIV
and other substances in someone’s blood via a vaccine. So I commend
SCSN for its courage. Something must be done, now! As
a recent graduate in Microbiology, I consider my self as an embryo in
the academic sphere, yet I feel I have a piece of advice to give. First,
let the government set up a strong and reliable committee of experts to
investigate the veracity of the fact that such vaccine contains so and
so substances. Second, let the authorities imitate other developed
countries and sponsor immunization program using IPV, however expensive,
instead of OPV, for it poses no danger as indicated above. Third, let
them encourage our experts to start producing the vaccine here in
Nigeria, so as to divert any suspicion of the presence of obnoxious
substances, as it is the case with the imported one. Fourth, let there
be a favourable condition for our scientists to investigate and develop
a more safer, cheaper and reliable vaccine through, for example,
processes of genetic engineering. But
with the current trend of democratic collapse in Nigeria as explained by
Anambra political coup, fuel price increase, unprecedented level of
corruption and privatization charade combined with other nation’s
economic doldrums, I am afraid if the authorities will not turn a blind
eye on the issue. But forewarned, they say is to be forearmed. It
would therefore be a very great benefit to those in power, honourable to
their positions and delightful to the populace if they (the authorities)
take the issue with all seriousness and commitment. |